He's Real
by lovedoesn'thurt
Summary: What happens when the series you thought were just books weren't just books after all? What if they were real? What if the fictional characters we adored actually existed? "I mean, what are the chances of your favorite fictional character actually existing? He's real. Oh gods, he's actually real." OC/Nico
1. Chapter 1: First Meeting

**A/N: **Some of you know may know this story, most of you won't. I took out the **He's Real **trilogy because it was poorly written, and it just kept _dragging_.

But I'm editing most of it whilst keeping most of the basic plot.

I hope you like it as much as you did the first time!(:

**Disclaimer: If I was Rick Riordan, I wouldn't be on fanfiction but instead finishing House of Hades.**

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Chapter 1: First Meeting

I was sitting in my desk, minding my own business, while my friends talked to each other. I wasn't paying any attention to their conversation because I was too preoccupied with the boy in front of the class.

He was standing next to the teacher, somewhat awkwardly, as if he didn't belong here. His shaggy, black hair fell in front of his eyes, making it look like he didn't possess a comb. His pale skin contrasted greatly to the dark clothes he wore, but what made him different were his eyes.

They were cold and dark, and even though his was twelve, he seemed to be older…like he wasn't from our time. He had dark circles under his eyes, making it seem like he spent countless nights awake, just staring at his ceiling.

What scared me the most was I felt like I _knew _him.

He seemed familiar to me, his descriptions triggering memories deep inside me, but I couldn't figure it out yet.

Until Mr. Cruz said his name.

"Class, this is a new student, Nico," Mr. Cruz introduced. "I expect you all to treat him with kindness in this school, okay?"

My eyes were wide with disbelief. How was this possible? Someone please tell me I was dreaming, and this wasn't real life, and the guy who I had been fangirling over a long time wasn't standing in front of me.

Nico. Pale white skin. Shaggy black hair. _I knew him_, I thought to myself. He was in my books. He was one of my favorite characters. Hades, he was my age, so how could I not have a crush on him? I mean, I knew he was a fictional character and whatnot, but a girl could dream, you know?

But I didn't think my dream would come true.

I joked with my friends that he might be real, but I never took it seriously. Okay, I kind of took it seriously, but I didn't _actually _believe it. I mean, what are the chances of your favorite fictional character actually existing?

_He's real. _

Oh gods, he's actually real.

Mr. Cruz whispered something to the reason of my existence, something that caused him to glance at my direction.

Oh my gods, was he looking at me?

When he took the seat next to me, I felt stupid and idiotic and dumb, but holy gods, he was _real_.

I must've been hyperventilating or something because he looked at me worriedly. Or maybe he was freaked out because it looked like I was going to pass out from incredulity.

"You okay?" he asked me. It was such an innocent question, something anyone could've said.

But he wasn't just anyone.

I had to make sure though. I had to make sure I wasn't hallucinating, that I was sane, and I didn't belong to a mental hospital.

"What's your last name?" I asked, my voice quivering. Whether it was from anticipation or fear, I really didn't know.

As he spoke his last name, my suspicions were confirmed. I scanned the classroom to see if anyone was paying attention to us, but they all were blissfully ignorant.

_Ignorance is your new best friend._

Just to be clear, I asked, "I'm sorry, what was it again?"

His eyebrows furrowed, as if he was exasperated by my having to ask him twice, but I wanted to make sure I wasn't completely insane.

"I said my last name is Di Angelo. Nico Di Angelo."


	2. Chapter 2: Boy Toy

**A/N: Well, this chapter turned longer than I intended it to.  
**

**Thank you all for your wonderful reviews, and thanks for taking a chance on this story!**

**Hope you like the chapter(:**

**Disclaimer: If I was Rick Riordan, I wouldn't be on fanfiction but instead finishing House of Hades.**

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Chapter 2: Boy Toy

I pinched the skin between my thumb and pointer finger, just to make sure this was actually reality, not a dream that I conjured up. The sting I felt reassured myself I wasn't dreaming; I didn't know how many times I had to make sure this was all real. Nico Di Angelo was really here.

He existed and was living, and he was actually a real person.

Gods, I needed help.

First things first, I had to make sure no one knew who he really was. Most people didn't read the Percy Jackson series, but a few do, and if they came up with the conclusion like I did…all Tartarus would break loose.

"Don't tell anyone your last name, okay?" I whispered to him.

He looked at me warily, offending me a bit, if I was honest. If anyone should be cautious about anyone, it should be me, not the son of Hades. He was the one who could summon undead skeletons, what could I do?

Exactly.

"Why not?" he asked. The teacher still hadn't caught us talking. The main reason was because we sat in the very last row. Tall people were sitting in front of us, obscuring us from the teacher's view, and I couldn't be more grateful than I felt then.

"Because they'll find out," I said vaguely. Knowing demigods, his mind was probably going into overdrive. My cryptic answer probably didn't help at all, but I needed him to take my word seriously. "Swear on the River Styx you won't tell anyone unless I tell you so."

His eyes narrowed, wondering how a mortal could know the most serious oath of the gods. After looking at me intently, he finally agreed.

"I swear on the River Styx I won't tell my last name." I let out a breath of relief. "Now, who the hell are you and how do you know the River Styx?" he demanded. "You look like a mortal, I doubt you're a demigod."

Again, the son of Hades managed to offend me twice in one hour.

What did he mean he doubted I was a demigod? I mean, sure, I really was mortal, but how was a demigod supposed to look?

_Apparently, not like _you_ since he doubts you're a demigod, _a snarky part of me answered.

Trying not to sound pissed off, I replied, "Jamie. I'm Jamie Lynn, and _you _are Nico Di Angelo, the son of Hades."

"How do you know so much about us?" His tone was hard, and his expression was the same, too. I guess he didn't like a _mortal _knowing so much about him, huh?

"We'll talk at lunch, okay? I'll explain everything then," I promised.

Again, the son of Hades looked at me with a cautious expression, probably speculating so many theories about me. He nodded his head in agreement, and I bit the inside of my cheek to contain the smile that wanted to break out.

Because holy Tartarus, I'd been talking to _Nico Di Angelo. _

Lunch came, and I was actually excited to be talking to Nico. Under most circumstances, I would be a wreck trying to talk to a guy, but this wasn't a normal guy.

This was Nico Di Angelo, the guy who's been my everything since I finished reading the Percy Jackson series.

Plus, the conversation would most likely be centered around the books.

Nico and I didn't have any classes after first period, and I was mildly disappointed by it.

I guess that should've clued me in that Nico would become the school's new boy toy.

By the time I entered the cafeteria with my friends, Nico was getting to know a lot of girls, who, by the way, I detested with every fiber of my being.

They all surrounded him in a lunch table, him being in the middle, while girls flocked around his side. Most of them had high self-esteem, so they weren't shy about putting their hands on him whenever they could.

But gods, we were _twelve _for Hestia's sake.

"Who's that?" one of my friends asked. I averted my gaze from the table, even though I wanted nothing more than to set it on fire along with its inhabitants.

Facing Marcy, I answered her, "The new student, Nico." I tried to keep the irritated tone out of my voice, but my best friend knew me better than anyone did.

Her black ponytail swished when she shook her head. "You have a crush on him, don't you?"

"Why the hell would I like him?" I snapped aloud, realizing I said it a little bit louder than I intended.

A few heads turned, looking at me like I was a freak—not that they were completely off—and one of them was the person we were currently talking about.

_So, I guess he only looks at you when you're talking about him, huh? _the same voice from earlier said.

Dionysus, if you're trying to make me insane, keep going because it's working.

"You need to calm down, Jamie. I was joking. You okay?" she asked concerned. I felt bad for snapping at my best friend.

I mean, it wasn't her fault the books I was obsessed with weren't just books anymore, and the Nico I was talking about was actually _the _Nico.

Taking a deep breath, I released it, and answered her, "Yeah, I'm fine. There's just a lot of things going on in my head."

"Wanna talk about it?" she offered kindly. I was dying to tell her what was happening and who Nico actually was, but I couldn't, and I didn't know exactly why. There was just a part of me that told me to keep it to myself, and this time I listened to my gut.

"No, it's okay. It's just stupid things mostly," I replied.

"Maybe you should give this Nico boy a chance, you know. Like, he might not be as bad as you think he is."

Gods, Marcy was the nicest person ever.

When I shrugged noncommittally, she quipped, "Plus his name is Nico. I mean, he might not be Nico Di Angelo, the star of all your dreams, but at least his first name is the same, right?"

I flushed scarlet after she was done and didn't bother checking the other table, fully knowing that Nico heard all of that; I cursed at my suddenly not-so nice best friend, albeit she didn't know what she had done.

I didn't need to face him to feel his piercing gaze on me, burning me, making my face heat up.

I refused to acknowledge his existence—even though I could hardly believe it before; my pride was at stake here. I didn't want the son of Hades to know about my infatuation with him.

Finally, the bell rang, ending the day. Along with homework, I had more things on my mind than I ever wanted. I thought about Nico and the books and the explanation that I was supposed to give him. As I was getting ready to leave, it was only then that I remembered the promise I made to him.

I was supposed to talk to him at lunch, but he decided to be the center of the sluts' attention, and so we never got the chance to talk.

Why were boys so stupid?

"I thought you were supposed to explain everything to me, Lynn?" Nico said, leaning against the wall.

I raised my eyebrow. "You were the one who sat with the school's whores. Is it my fault we didn't talk, Di Angelo?" I didn't give him the time to answer. "Were you waiting for me?"

"Who else would I be waiting for?" he replied. When he said that, this weird sensation started in my stomach, something fluttery, and I didn't know what the Hades it was. I never felt anything like it before, and I wanted it to stop, but at the same time, I didn't.

"You do realize I have things to do after school, right?" He didn't seem to care. "I can't just ditch it." Though, he looked like he wanted me to. "I've never missed a practice. What am I—"

"Are you really turning down a chance to talk to the star of your fantasies?" The crooked grin that played on his lips made me want to fall into a hole and stay there.

I flushed. "I don't remember you being this cocky in the books," I said, more to myself than him.

"Are you coming with me or not?" He stood straighter now, impatiently waiting for me to make up my mind.

I deserved to be in a mental institution if I said no.

"Where are we going?" I asked. We were walking out of the school, and frankly, I was kind of afraid. Even though he was the son of Hades, Stygian Iron couldn't hurt mortals, so if some psycho tried to murder us, we wouldn't really last long.

"What time do you have to be home?" The way he said it sounded like he'd never said it before, which was probable since most of his acquaintances were half-bloods, and they didn't have curfew.

"I could probably tell my mom they extended it to five," I answered. It was three now. "You could give me a ride, right? Shadow traveling and everything?"

"Yeah, but then I'd probably need a day or two to recover. Let's go there now so you can show me these books." It was a suggestion, but it sounded more like a demand.

"Or we can walk around the park and just talk there," I countered, nodding my head towards said park.

He sighed, as if I made a juvenile proposition, but walked towards the direction of the park anyway. Instead of walking, though, he sat under a big oak tree, patting the space before him.

It took me a while before I realized that space was meant for me to sit on. I made an "Ohhhhhh" sound after I looked at him weirdly, apologizing afterwards for my incompetence.

"Since you're comfortable, tell me everything you know about the books and how a mortal like _you_ can know so much about the demigod world."

Tread lightly, Nico Di Angelo.

I might be just a mortal, but this mortal knew everything about you.

I could _so _blackmail the fuck out of your demigod ass.


	3. Chapter 3: Aphrodite's Quest

**Disclaimer: Yes. I'm Rick Riordan. I go on fanfiction under this pseudonym so that I could procrastinate in finishing the House of Hades.  
**

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Chapter 3: Aphrodite's Quest

The sun smiled at us from the sky, radiating its heat, making us sweat like pigs. I swear, if the sun were a person, it would be a sadist. I mean, yes, I understood we needed the sun to live, but did it have to be so freaking hot?

I hope you're having a wonderful day giving us skin cancer, Apollo.

Thankfully, Nico and I were under the slightly cool shade of a tree. We were sitting against the trunk, a space between us. The bark felt rough against my skin, and the grass kind of made my ass itchy, but I did my best not to squirm.

"You don't have to sound so rude, you know," I said in response to his insinuation.

He sighed reluctantly. "I'm sorry for hurting your feelings. Are you happy now?"

Muttering under my breath, I said, "What did I ever see in you?"

"Come again?" Judging from the smirk on his cocky face, he heard me crystal clear. My face flushed scarlet, but I refused to say anything about it.

"All of the books are based on Percy Jackson," I said. "It starts when he was twelve all the way until—"

"Speak of the devil," Nico mumbled. His gaze wasn't on me though, but instead on the two figures walking in the distance.

Oh my gods.

The guy in question had his arm around the shoulders of a blonde girl; she looked really comfy there, by the way. The raven-haired boy said something to his girlfriend, making her roll her stormy gray eyes. Incidentally, there was no actual way I could see the color of her eyes from this distance. But if these two were actually who thought they were…

There was a moment of silence where Nico and I had simply stared at the couple.

"Fancy meeting you here, Death Breath." His green eyes were sparkling, and his smile was shining, too.

"Is this her?" A tan finger pointed towards me.

"You know who they are, don't you?" Nico asked, focusing his gaze on me whilst I stared reverently at the pair.

"Percy Jackson." I was in awe. "Annabeth Chase."

Proceeding to make myself look like an idiot, my body decided by itself that now would be a great time to faint.

No more than a few minutes later, my eyes fluttered open. I expected the coarse texture of the tree. What I didn't expect was my head lying comfortably on someone's lap.

"Feeling comfy down there?" the owner of the lap asked tersely. I ignored him because my head did feel comfy, and I wasn't about to admit that.

"I told you this was a bad idea," a hushed voice whispered. "They look like they hate each other."

"We hated each other in the beginning."

"Oh, yeah, that's right."

"Did you already forget, Seaweed Brain?"

"'Course not, Wise Girl."

"I can't believe I'm witnessing a Percabeth moment!"

"…"

"I can't believe I just ruined a Percabeth moment."

Sitting up, I smiled sheepishly at the couple, deciding to ignore the boy next to me; I wanted to act as if he didn't exist for a few minutes. Ironic how before I couldn't believe he was real, now I was denying his being.

You couldn't blame me for the unexpected attitude of the son of Hades.

"What's Percabeth?" the son of Poseidon asked. He was sitting in front of me.

"It's our couple name," Annabeth answered. She was still in his arms.

"What are you guys doing here?" His voice was cold, the coldest I'd ever heard, actually. I didn't know what got his knickers in a twist, but he seemed really pissed off.

I frowned, my eyebrows furrowing. Was Nico like this in the books before? I didn't remember him being this brooding character. The only time he acted like this was the time after Bianca died; he blamed Percy for her death. But didn't he get passed that?

"We came to see how your quest was going," Percy replied casually.

"Quest?" I asked worriedly. "What quest?"

"I'm guessing Nico didn't tell you," Annabeth said, bringing her gaze to him. "Why didn't you tell her?"

"I wasn't sure," he defended himself. "I didn't know if she was the girl or not."

Annabeth snorted, as if the idea amused her greatly. "She's the girl, Nico. If she wasn't, you wouldn't be sitting here talking to her."

"Yeah, this girl is actually wondering what quest you're all talking about," I said.

"It's not even a real quest," Nico protested. "Aphrodite's probably just trying to find different entertainment since you and Percy are happily in love." He rolled his eyes after he mentioned love, piquing my interest.

"Is the son of Hades _afraid _oflove?" I asked, raising my eyebrows. Well, this was a new piece of information that I didn't know about.

He huffed in annoyance. "Don't be stupid. I don't care about love."

It didn't take a genius to figure out what this so-called quest was about. The moment he finished his statement, Annabeth's eyes brighten, a telltale sign that she figured it out, as well. Percy was the only one left in the dark.

"But why me?" I questioned, wondering what Aphrodite was thinking. Nico hating me surely wasn't part of her brilliant plan, was it? I couldn't tell. Who knew what ran through the goddess of love's mind? Weaving love stories out of unwilling partners was sure a fun hobby.

Annabeth shrugged. "I don't know either. No offense, but I don't see why she would pick you out of all the mortals in the world who have read the books."

"None taken," I muttered inaudibly. She smiled apologetically, hearing what was supposed to be a quiet, sullen whisper.

Damn you demigods and all your heightened senses.

"Um, what are you two talking about?" Percy asked, oblivious to the big picture.

"Do you remember the time Aphrodite visited you when Annabeth was missing?" I said.

You wouldn't believe how fast Annabeth snapped her neck to glare at her surprised boyfriend. "What? She visited you? Why? And why didn't you tell me about it?"

Percy smiled weakly. "I didn't think it was important." His girlfriend didn't relax her gaze. Making a smart decision, Percy turned his attention on me, giving Annabeth some time to cool off. "What about the time she visited?"

"It's basically the same reason why she assigned Nico to…to find me."

"What? Like, you and him…"

I nodded my head furiously at his unfinished sentence. Percy took a moment to ponder this new detail before facing Nico, his expression sober.

"I wish you the best luck, 'cuz. Things are going to get a whole lot dramatic for you."

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**A/N: **For some reason, this chapter was hard really hard to write. Most of the sentences didn't sound right to me, and I felt like I could've used better words, but my mind was against me today.

So, I apologize if this was really horrible.

Give me some constructive criticism please? [:

Thanks for reading!


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